Grasshopper Pie

Today is National Pi Day! Not pie with an “e”, but pi as in the mathematical number π… 3.141529… and on and on and on. I actually can’t believe that I remembered that much of the sequence… kudos to my high school math teachers! In the foodie world, March 14th is celebrated with, you guessed it… pie! We also happen to be on the doorstep of St. Patrick’s Day weekend, so I thought I would merge the two occasions and bring you a pie fit for celebrating the St. Patrick’s Day holiday.

Growing up, I thought that the best thing about going out to eat at Olive Garden was that Andes mints got strewn on the table along with the check at the end of the meal. I loved those little mint chocolate candies and would try to steal as many as I could. I’ve always loved the combination of smooth chocolate and refreshing mint, so it came as no surprise that I loved my first grasshopper cocktail when I tried it in college. I couldn’t let another St. Patrick’s Day go by without finally making a grasshopper pie!

There is a total infusion of chocolate and mint flavors in this pie, which begins with the crust. Instead of using a plain ol’ chocolate cookie crumb crust, Cool Mint Oreos are used for an even bigger pop of flavor. Add to that a healthy dose of crème de menthe and crème de cacao, and you have a perfectly balanced, fantastic-tasting pie. The texture of the filling is a cross between a meringue, a Jell-O dessert, and a cream pie. It’s smooth, creamy, light and airy. Not only does this make a great St. Patrick’s Day pie, but it would also be wonderfully refreshing during the summer, and festive enough for the holidays.

Whether you’re a foodie, a math fan, ready to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, or just looking for an excuse to throw some liquor into into a pie… there’s really no good reason not to celebrate Pi Day!

Directions:

1. Make the Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the Oreo cookie crumbs and the melted butter in a medium bowl and toss with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Transfer the crumbs to a 9-inch pie plate. Press the crumbs evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, forming a crust. Refrigerate the lined pie plate for 20 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes, until the crust is fragrant and set. Cool completely on a wire rack.

2. Make the Filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until foamy, about 30 seconds. Stir together the gelatin, sugar, ½ cup of the heavy cream and the salt in a medium saucepan and let sit until the gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Cook over medium heat until the gelatin dissolves and the mixture is very hot but not boiling, about 2 minutes. Whisking continuously, slowly drizzle the gelatin mixture into egg yolks. Return mixture to saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the crème de menthe and crème de cacao. Pour into a large bowl and refrigerate, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until it thickens to a wobbly consistency, about 20 minutes.

3. Beat the remaining 1½ cups heavy cream on medium-high speed until it holds stiff peaks. Gently whisk 1 cup of the whipped cream into the gelatin mixture until completely incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold the remaining whipped cream into the gelatin mixture until no streaks of white remain. Scrape the mixture into the cooled pie shell, smooth the top, and refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours or preferably overnight. Serve with whipped cream and topped with chocolate curls, if desired.

Notes:

The pie will keep in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.

The alcohol in this pie has no way of cooking off, so keep that in mind if serving to children or anyone who can't have alcohol.

If you can't find Cool Mint Oreos, you can use regular or homemade Oreos for the crust.

You are one smart cookie taking care of both Pi Day and St Patrick’s Day with one awesome pie! Chocolate and mint = pretty much the best flavor combo ever in my mind and somehow I’ve yet to make grasshopper pie. Will be happening soon for sure

This post really grabbed me, because I am a pie maker and dog lover. Most all of my posts consist either pie, or my dog, or both : ) I love looking at your pictures of Einstein. I include WAY too many pictures of my dog Rainey, and I’m sure some people tire of them, but I figure oh well…if they do, they can pass through ; ) There are many dog lovers out there I’m sure, and if they aren’t, well then…they sure are missing something HUGE in their lives : ) : )

Einstein at the vet…OH.MY.GOSH!!! I have never seen such a thing in my life!! That is CLASSIC!! My love, Kama, was the most terrified dog at the vet, and my dog now, Rainey – she’ll tolerate going, but she sure doesn’t love it. Einstein…I have never. I can’t wait to show my husband when he gets home!!

Oh my gosh…I was traveling on St. Patrick’s Day and missed this one. My grandmother, just smacked me on the head. This is the one she made in my childhood and I would dream of…we all thought it was great that it had booze it it. Of course, we didn’t know what booze meant, but it was a fun word to say. Thank you for sharing this!

Wow, I haven’t even chilled the pie yet and already I can tell just from tasting the filling that it’s going to be delicious! This recipe with egg yolks and gelatin is far superior than the other varieties I’ve made with marshmallow creme. I used plain Oreos instead of the mint kind, but other than that, I followed the directions exactly. I can’t wait for it to chill so hubby and I can dig in! Thanks for a great recipe!

My Mom always made grasshopper pies for Christmas. She never wrote down the recipe much to our distress because she’s had Alzheimer’s for the last 6 years. I’ve searched everywhere for what I could remember was in the pie and was overjoyed when I saw your recipe. I haven’t made it yet but by the ingredients it looks the same only she used regular graham crackers for the crust and put chocolate shavings on the top. I’ll let you know how it turns out. My daughter and I are so excited! Thanks!

The crust is delicious. I made mine a little thicker and it came out really good. I didn’t think the pie filling was very flavorful, though. And I even added an extra 1/8 cup each of the creme de cacao and creme de menthe. I really like the consistency of the filling, but the flavor just wasn’t there for me. Next time I might change the proportion of gelatin mixture to whipped cream to see if I can get a tastier balance.

So…my wife likes mint and chocolate. I was hoping to make this for her last Xmas, but she had gestational diabetes while expecting and was under a strict low sugar low carb diet. Fast forward to now, and we have a new bouncing, baby boy adding to chaos with his 5 siblings. It is Mother’s Day, so I decided to make good on my threats of making this caloric disaster. In a word, “fantastic”! I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly. It was rich and flavorful, very retro in a good way. If this aging ‘Xer, geek can make this, anyone can. Only thing that went a little different was the part about getting the slop to set in the fridge. It took me closer to 40 minutes, but that could have been a difference with my fridge. The “wobbly” description was key and I let that guide my actions. I dunno where the comment about lack of flavor came from one of the reviewers, maybe they simply forgot to add the liqueurs? I followed the recipe exactly and it was plenty minty and chocolaty. Thanks for posting this bit of delcious nostalgia.

This is the 3rd time making this recipe. My guests said it was the best pie they ever ate. I baked a ham with green bean casserole, it was a light dinner. Then I brought out this pie. A major hit. This is not the type of pie you serve after a spaghetti dinner. It’s refreshing in flavor but it’s quite filling as well. Goes great with a high protein dinner.